


We.

by emotionalcello



Series: Do You Love Me? [12]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Canon timeline is messy, Drama, Drama & Romance, Like Spicy scenes but not graphic, M/M, Omegaverse, Romance, Spicy, but none of that tho, mention of rape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:54:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23102038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emotionalcello/pseuds/emotionalcello
Summary: Alpha and Omega, more of a curse than a second gender. Theorized to be the nature’s solution of human’s close brush against extinction hundreds of thousands of years ago. It’s truly a blessing that their population is near extinction, not more than 5% of the total. The percentage of them meeting is slim to none.Yet here they are.
Relationships: Jason Todd/Bruce Wayne
Series: Do You Love Me? [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1077132
Comments: 54
Kudos: 156





	1. Alpha

**Author's Note:**

> it's been a long time since I posted anything. To be fully honest, this is the first fic that i'm not sure whether to post or not bcs i'm not happy with it when posting. But I just feel like there's no room to grow this anywhere, and it's completely done. So...
> 
> Enjoy?

Bruce has a secure private line created especially to connect through Jason’s. That flip phone has no contacts, and only the same set of numbers ever flashed on the outside screen. A Motorola flip phone with a monochrome graphic. They went great lengths to have this method of communication separated from their work, their families, and their intruding night time associates.

The security and secrecy take intricate design, but what they have is simple.

What they knew are crucial, and yet so easily contained.

Inside the text is a location and time, sent over an hour ago. In an hour and one minute, Bruce sent back the exact text message. Anything earlier means he won't be there.

Right on the edge of Gotham. Tight slums and abandoned buildings tower tightly. But one among many is not like the other. For one, access to an underground bomb shelter for the rich and has been long forgotten, abandoned since world war two. Its records, -a floor plan on a piece of paper signed by the government- doesn’t exist at the Records of Deeds. Bruce doesn’t know what happened to it, but he does have a concrete hint who might have it.

The building above the shelter had been inhabitable for ten years. Only roaches and rats as big as your biceps roams around and called it homes. Unlike the bunker that’s been revamped into something else. Batman slips to the underground floor from the long broken lift. A secret entrance triggered by messing around the elevator button that seemed to rust and long gone. A hatch opened under Batman’s feet, too small to fall in, but big enough for him to shimmy down.

The small tunnel ends on the rooftop of a wide but short corridor. Its blue light gave him an empty feeling. Even after a few seconds, Batman’s heavy drop still echoes. The corridor is less of a path and more like a rectangle box. Unlike the building on top of it, it’s clean, almost eerily spotless, and Batman with all the darkness of him is like a speck dirt in the middle of it.

Batman takes off his heavy and armored gloves, revealing the prim and manicured hand fit of Bruce Wayne the quirky playboy billionaire, Gotham’s darling. He presses his hand on a wall exactly 10 centimeters off the room’s center, pressing on it exactly 10 seconds before pulling it away.

The wall behind him opens from an invisible seam, another hallway deeper where he’ll finally reach the bunker.

The enforced door at the end of this second hall opened. Another seamless wall, a short and dead-ended room. Bruce takes off his cowl, stands with feet shoulder length apart, facing the wall and pressed both hands on the wall, shoulder-length from each other. The wall glows a faint green light, a small dent in the front of his eyes glares laser that scans through his face. That one is new, but he goes along with it. All this for the prize in the room behind the wall.

The final door opens, with it, a gush of cold refreshing wind brushed against his skin, leaving warm pleasurable shivers down his spine. He takes in a deep breath, smelling intently the scent of faint jasmine, a strong smell of cedarwood, a hint of lavender, and a tinge of iron and sweat.

Bruce is greeted with a shocking difference between the exterior and the interior. No matter how much he came to this room, he’s never numb to the amusement. A room with pastel walls and the softest carpeted purple floor his feet ever stepped on. It was a bunker that could easily be crammed with a hundred people but originally made for 10 upper-class people to take shelter luxuriously comfortable, now transformed as a room for two.

The room is filled with plushies, cabinets filled with sex toys, soft clothes, and extra pillows. At the end of the room, is a king-sized bed with red silk covers. There, laid the prettiest piece of man that made his Adam's apples bobbed at the sight. Just like him, the man gulps at his appearance. Unlike him, the man is already completely naked.

Bruce takes off his gear, putting them on the compartment that’s open and waiting right beside the door. As his gear put inside, along with another gear that’s already there, the compartment closed. As

The closer he approached, the stronger the man’s scent is. The scent of arousal. The scent of heat coming. So strong that it’s triggering his rut. He feels even his breathing grows heavy.

“If you’re going to walk any slower,” the man sigh, flinching, already in pain as his heat started without any sign of an Alpha in the perimeter, “I’m... going to start without you.”

“I’m sorry I’m late.” Bruce takes off the scent blocker from the flanks of his neck, a thinner than a paper membrane, invisible to the naked eye. When he lets his scent adds to the air, he could see the omega deeply breaths it in like a drug and exhales in a pleasured moan. The most melodic sound that Bruce Wayne had ever heard.

Bruce lands his knee to the plush mattress, hand on the back of the omega’s neck and bare his own for the omega to scent. They stayed a few seconds to take each other’s scent, to calm the omega and give the reassurance of safety.

“I thought you’re taking suppressant,” he asked in worry. For the omega in his arms hates it to the core and their sex always without them.

Not that Bruce minds. Heat sex is said to be the most pleasurable kind. An omega in heat will want you no matter how much the person behind it doesn’t want to. An omega in heat doesn’t have their straight mind to say no. Their body will be punished with pain if no one ‘assisted’ them in their heat. An alpha in a rut doesn’t have the straight mind to say no as well. Their rut came triggered always, over the smell of an omega in heat.

Alpha and Omega, more of a curse than a second gender. Theorized to be the nature’s solution of human’s close brush against extinction hundreds of thousands of years ago. It’s truly a blessing that their population is near extinction, not more than 5% of the total. The percentage of them meeting is slim to none.

Yet here they are.

“Consider yourself lucky.” The omega smirked, finally taking off his nose from Bruce’s scent glands. “I can’t take the shots forever. Healthwise, I still have to have them once every two years. I knew that the hard way when I first have my heat.”

Bruce felt his blood boil, from the top of his head down to his groin. His nose flared as he takes in his omega’s scent, rich and closing in on a full-blown heat. But he’s just way too angry to enjoy how easy the omega aroused him, with his scent and with the way his body reacted violently on his touch alone.

Without smelling his sweet scent, Bruce can’t imagine ever looking his adopted son is such ways. Supple, endearing, beautiful, with a delicious slick leaking down his carved legs, prepped and ready for mating.

++++++

Heats last for days. The first time Jason revealed he’s an omega, he was in heat, in pain. For once in a long time, Jason needed him. Bruce took that chance. To let himself be the Alpha he had hidden from the world. No one knew about their second gender but each other. Not his other sons, not even his best friend Clark. The days they spent together for days, conversing normally between the calm in his waves of heat, made him remember two years ago where he had done this exact same thing.

In their little bunker, Jason tucked in his arms, as they wait for Jason’s next wave over a movie. Talking about petty topics with light delicate laughs slipping in between.

It’s not usually like this. Their heat less sex more sober and enjoyable as they’re there as themselves, not as a rut ridden alpha, and a lulled omega. Though Bruce is here, no matter what Jason needed from him.

Once in two years, he has an omega. Every once in a while, he has Jason.

+++++


	2. Omega

In a world where 95% of the population are betas, Jason is an omega, and Bruce is an alpha. No one ever knew their secondary gender, but each other.

Jason presented alone in a ditch after Talia lets him go. A late bloomer. It came as a painful shock, but he had other things to focus on than his gender. Thanks to suppressants and scent blockers, Jason passed as a beta.

Bruce presented when he was 13, at the back of his mind, he knew he’s going to be an alpha. He had scent neutralizing hygiene products to subdue his scent. There is no suppressant for Alphas, but he goes as far as creating one himself when he just can’t rely on the scent neutralizing soaps and deodorants. When he goes out as Batman, he goes for the most full-proof way, and that is scent blocker strips over his scent glands. Anything to make himself pass as a beta.

Between them, the first one who knew the other’s second gender is Jason. He caught a whiff of an alpha scent from Bruce. It was faint, and Jason was still his robin. Through meticulous observation, Jason could see the near-invisible scent blocker on Bruce’s neck. It was so foolproof that no Beta was supposed to notice. Jason had thought that he had a sensitive nose, little did he knew. Jason never confronted Bruce about the second gender, respecting his privacy, and understanding the danger of it ever getting out.

Even after their years-long fight, Jason said nothing. After he presented, he’s even more so careful with what he knows. It would be so easy to fight against Bruce using his weakness as an alpha, but as someone that’s also hiding his second gender, he’ll respect anyone that tried to hide it too.

Jason hides it for the sake of his safety as a whole. Omegas are easily weakened now that heat-inducing drugs are sold publicly as a sex stimulating drug. How easy his enemies can control him with an alpha’s scent and heat-inducing pheromones is like a middle finger from his body.

Even though Bruce can use his second gender to his benefit, he refuses to use it. Though alphas are strong, they’re easily manipulated by an omega scent. They became irrational or in some cases, feral at a scent of omegas in heat, which in some cases can be contained and reproduced.

Though Bruce can easily have his way as an alpha, he can’t risk his identities.

It was a life none of them want.

Jason can’t blindly ignore his second gender if he so desperately wants to. Source of his despise? Heats.

Jason would’ve taken suppressants for the rest of his life and never have heats if he can, but his wretched biology can’t function that way. Once every two years, his body needs to have his heat. Taking the suppressant consistently for more than two years could lead to addiction, drug tolerance, and irregular heats.

When Jason presented in a ditch. Fortunately, he was in a secluded area and the shock makes him forget a couple of days worth of time he spent lying there. Nothing happened to him other than the new smell and dying thirst and hunger.

Two years after that, he needed to have his heat.

Jason weighed his options. He could do this alone, or get some help. The first and obvious choice is to do it alone, and he did just that.

Painful would be an understatement. He had to fight himself for a week, and the worst is the first three days. His phone is destroyed because he was so close to calling anyone in his contact to come and help him... and breed him. Wriggling on top of his bed and never feel comfortable. His blood feels hot like molten lava in his vein, frying up all his senses. He had toys from skinny and long to a girth as thick as his arm, and they all could barely satisfy him. None of them are enough.

And he’s sore. All parts of his body whined and strained, and he’s always so fucking sore all the time.

It’s like being fucked by Satan’s talons, and Jason hates it.

When the second two years' annual heat is coming, and Jason weighs his options again.

He can go through all of this alone again, or have someone help him. Betas are less affected by Omega’s pheromone, makes them a perfect candidate to help him. What stopped him is Jason’s trust issues, none of his friends knew about him being an omega, and all his close friends are either gone or died.

Alphas can help too, the right one can be naturally dependable and caring. Their skin feels soothingly cold against the omega’s heated skin. And Jason only knows one Alpha. Bruce.

It never meant to start as blackmail. Jason just slides into Batcomputer’s encrypted CPU and told Bruce to meet him in a location because he knows Bruce is an alpha.

The location is a safe house that Jason created specifically for his heats. It’s an underground bunker abandoned since world war two. Jason stole the records of the bunker from the Register of Deeds and burns it. For the government and anyone alive, that place doesn’t exist. It was a bunker made by civilians back when the burned down apartment on top of it was farmlands. So it was fairly small and could tightly fit a hundred people in it.

In years between his first presenting heat and the incoming one, Jason turned it into an omega’s haven. A comfortable bed with tons of pillows and more on the closet. Fur carpeting is a must, pastel walls, and a working bathroom complete with a tub. But, just like any other safe house, there's guns on the secret compartment under his bed, a spare of his suit behind the cabinet, and aid kit in the bathroom.

Before the confrontation, Jason already got himself a birth control shot if things go his way. Birth control is hard to get, especially for omegas. As an omega, he could’ve conceived outside of heat with the same rate as a normal beta couple would. But in heat, the percentage of conceiving is 99%. And gods be damned if a child ever conceived between them.

Jason had taken all the precautions needed to be taken down to his words.

When the knight of Gotham entered the room, suspiciously easily when he must’ve expected a lot of alarm blaring, his shock is noticeable. Their dark suit of armor completely out of place in Jason’s pink green lavender pastel walls. Their grimy combat boots are stepping on the fragile soft wool carpeting.

Fighting is inevitable, especially with what Jason about to ask.

“I’m not telling anyone! That’s not why I called you here,” Jason finally snapped after they threw build up misunderstanding at each other.

“Then what is it?”

Shuddering, his hands damp with cold sweat, but he can feel himself turning up in heat. It’s coming and time is ticking against his favor.

This safe house is the most secure and isolated than the rest, and his king-sized super-cushioned bed is begging him to lay there. His helmet feels stuffy and his gear like a sauna. He just wants to peel his gear off and bask in the cold air conditioner.

Too embarrassed to say it, Jason peels off the scent blockers and lets his scent speak for itself.

Batman immediately steps back, and Jason can’t see his eyes in that mask, but his lips pursed deeply.

“No... You passed the age of presenting when you died,” Batman mumbled to himself.

“Guess I’m a late bloomer.” Jason takes off his helmet and takes a deep cool breath. “No one knows you’re an alpha, or me being an omega, so, I... want you to help me with my heat.” With eyes cast down to soft faux fur carpet, he waits.

“So, this _is_ blackmail,” Batman hissed, but Jason caught the snippet of his hitched breath.

Biting off his smirk, Jason sneers, “We both got blackmail material on each other today. I’d say it’s pretty fair.”

Jason peels off his domino mask, and his leather jacket. He doesn’t know where this confidence is coming from. Perhaps seeing the ragged breath of the ever so composed Batman fed his ego.

“I’m not forcing you to help me. You can leave, the door is right there.” Jason drops himself on the side of the bed, taking off his boots and maintaining eye contact with Batman.

“And I’m not going to spill your secret as long as you don’t spill mine.” Jason takes off his body armor. Blood rushed to the surface of his skin, grateful for being unbound.

“And I’ll be right in this bed, writhing, fucking myself alone, begging for an alpha to take me.” The twitch on Batman’s face feeds on Jason’s ego. Not hiding his smirk, Jason takes off his gun holster, and unbuckle his belt.

“Maybe I’ll imagine you fucking me, with this guy over here,” Jason bends over to reach his drawers and pulls up a black knotted dildo.

“Or, you can stay, fuck your first omega, and I’ll treat you like an alpha you are.” By scooting back, his pants peel down. “No work talk,” he slips his thumb under, “And absolutely no family talk,” and Jason pulls down his pants and it drops to his ankle.

It’s hard to see what’s under that body armor and that annoying bat symbol on his chest, but Batman’s breathing just hitched. Jason kicked his pants away, leaning back with hands sinking into the soft comfortable mattress. Pillows of all kinds surround him, even more, is in the closet. In his omega nest, he opened his legs with a smile that bares his teeth in hunger.

Never has he ever felt this hungry over someone. Jason can’t smell Bruce yet, but just by knowing he’s presenting himself to an alpha, he already feels damp between the legs.

Yet, because Jason knows he will get what he wants.

“Just an omega and an alpha, having a fun heat-induced sex. What are the chances that anyone gets to have this? You can’t find another omega like me, and I’m sure as hell can’t find another alpha...” Jason stares Batman’s gear from the combat boots to the pointy ears, imagining them gone, “...like you.”

By how Batman’s hands finally open from the former tight fists and the parted lips borderline panting, Jason knows he had won.

Black gloves pry opens the mask the blocks his most charming feature. Batman was gone, so was Bruce, and Jason sees a gaze of an alpha. Ice cold eyes lick his skin and leave the spots in shivers. The bright daylight white bulb hides nothing from both of them and Jason uses that in his favor.

Those eyes can see every drop slick between Jason’s legs, every crevice, and features. How long has it been that Jason only gets to see Batman and what remains of Bruce Wayne every time they meet? This time, he finally sees Bruce in a different light.

As Bruce starts to undress, the way he knits his eyebrows shows frustration, but his hands that take off his gear from gloves, cape, and body armor says that he’s undoubtedly willing.

No, Jason isn’t usually like this. He never had the privilege to seduce someone in his favor, they always offer themselves first, but baiting the alpha out of Batman is thrilling enough to make his heart drums. His hands trail from his knee, while piercing Bruce’s ice iris with his own, going up through the lines of muscles on his inner thigh and nest on his damp crotch. When Bruce is finally naked, Jason scoots back to the center of his bed.

“Come here, alpha,” Jason moaned, and obediently, Bruce approach with softer wrinkles on his face.

His rough muscular arms invite themself to loop on Jason’s naked waist, and sliding his knee under Jason’s thigh. Their naked crotch pressed together and Jason’s breath hitched at the contact. The older man dipped his nose right on the scent glands of his neck and inhaled deeply like a hungry man starved of food for days. Jason voluntarily bares his neck so Bruce can have more of him while he’s on a mission of his own.

Bruce’s scent blockers must’ve been his own handicraft. Almost invisible to the naked eye, even as Jason hooked his jaw on Bruce’s taut shoulder Jason couldn’t make it right away. The tips of his fingers nudge the edge of the strong patch, as if to ask permission. Another hand landed on top of Jason, not to stop it, but to grab the patch and strips it out.

Jason goes weak at the immediate scent of distinct musk. Smells of pinewood, with a hint of rose and smog, like dear home Gotham, and musk as the apparent scent of arousal.

Gulping, Jason loops his hand on Bruce’s neck and looks him in the eye. “Rules,” he asserted before he’ll be overcome with heat. “We are not mating, so, no biting on the neck.” Jason grabbed Bruce’s jaw, digging his nails to Bruce’s stubbled face.

Jason is not one to fool himself that he could overpower Bruce, his hormones are begging to submit, and Bruce can push him down and rape him with the power of his scent and growl alone. But Bruce is letting him do this, letting Jason raise his voice and assert his rules. It graces Jason’s face with a satisfied smile.

“I meant the no outside talk. We don’t bring the rest of our life when we do this here, and what we do here doesn’t exist outside this room.”

Jason unclenched his claws and caress Bruce’s face. Definitive jaws, cheekbones and brow bones on his rectangular face. Deep-set eyes that go dark with lust and pale blue irises that glints as Jason licks his lips. Thick, hard angled eyebrow furrows close to his eyes. Every feature of Bruce’s physical form screams alpha, a dashingly handsome one now that Jason gets to see him without the burden of their past and existing relationship.

The alpha finally smiles, making Jason’s heart do funny things. The quirk of his lips and his eyes that smiles along, makes the wrinkles deepen unfairly in his favor. Bruce has never looked this beautiful in his eyes.

“I agreed, what happens here, stays here. And we’ll leave our capes and names out of this,” Bruce’s eyes shamelessly lick him from top to bottom. Bruce finally puts his hand where it belonged, on the side of Jason’s tapered waist and helps himself to feel the crevices of the taut skin.

“Do you have your shots?” Bruce asked, ever the gentleman, a side Jason had never experienced personally before.

“Always.”

“Good.”

A pair of coarse hands clawed his back, holding him tight. A kiss started from the back of Jason’s jaw as the man on top of him breathes in as the kiss trails down to his scent glands. Bruce nips the skin right at the dip of his adam’s apple.

As his lips pressed there, Bruce complimented in a low whisper, “What a sweet omega, so good to me,” and Jason can feel the low rasp of his voice against his sensitive skin. Both the tone and his words set fire under every inch of his skin.

Seconds later he’s pinned down to his mattress by an alpha on rut.

They acted feral for the first time, Bruce bares his fangs, and Jason offers himself wholly. Feeling naked and bare yet safe and freeing at the same time, those components never go along together for them, but in this context, they do so harmoniously.

Jason hates to admit how good he feels under an alpha’s body. To be ravaged and taken. The scent of arousal mixing in the air. The sensation of running out of breath. How close and careful Bruce held him despite both of them on the very edge of losing each other’s control.

The climax is painfully long and hard to reach, but after a couple of rounds, the lust that clouded them has calmed down. The heat subdued. What’s left there is just Jason and Bruce, panting as the knight lay on top of him with arms around his waist and head on top of his chest. Bruce settled there between his legs while the slippery slick is dripping out of him. As he promised, Jason is full of bluing hickeys from his collar bone and down to his inner thighs, no bites.

“Will you regret this?” The words slipped out of Jason’s mouth before he could stop them.

Bruce whispered to his skin, “Never.”

They stopped after Jason’s heat finally ceased on the fifth day. Both lay satisfied as Bruce’s knot deflated while Jason is dripping in them.

After changing the sheets, they shower together, coping a little feel that goes too far that they have to shower again. The scent neutralizing soaps erases all evidence of their sexcapade. His alpha suits up and becomes Batman again.

Just before the knight left, Jason chirped, “See you in two years,” and the black figure stops by the door.

The omega that lay naked in bed to rest, looks up to the rigid form stuck in front of his doorstep.

“That is if you still want to help me with my heats. It’s up to you if you want to tap out.” Jason says incredulously with a grin because the five days they spent together and the shower that they just took shows otherwise.

“It’s not that.”

Jason cocks his eyebrow, “I’m on suppressant, so I only have my heats once every two years,” Jason explains.

“I know.”

Then Batman left, without even leaving a wind behind. Even for Batman’s standard, that behavior is weird, but Jason just shrugged as he takes his time to rest.

They don’t talk about what they do in this Jason’s heat safe house, and they didn’t talk about who they are when they’re in this nest.

In Jason’s heat safe house, they exist only as an omega and an alpha. They leave their names and capes on the doorstep.

A moment of feral pleasure without ties.

At least, it’s what it supposed to be.

The first one to call is Bruce, a month after Jason has the first heat with him. He hates that this is what it has come to. He cursed the leap on his heart and the smile threatening to his face. Jason picked up to series of dates and times.

Sure enough, they’re back in his safe house with scent blockers off and no heat. Enjoying the rarest pleasure they can only have with each other. Being wholly themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if anyone doesn't get the timeline of this chapter. The event of this chapter happened two years before the first chapter from Jason's perspective. It's how they first got together.


	3. Together

What happened in Jason’s safe house stays in Jason’s safe house. And they leave their mantel and name by the doormat.

Red hood was way in Bludhaven when he got the text with a perp right at the end of his gun. The text is from the same security line to the special Motorola flip phone that he planned to use once every two years. There’s no other intention for Bruce if he’s contacting him through that phone.

When Jason read it, he laughed.

Amused, but the main reason why he found it hilarious is that he found himself asking: Why not?

It felt good, so why wait two years?

Just sex without suppressant and scent blockers. Embracing what they are without being afraid. Basking in each other’s scent.

Jason had predicted Bruce would come for more after their first one. The knight, the Gotham’s darling, has a different face when he’s buried between Jason’s legs. Liberated. Never in Jason’s life has he ever seen the man finally unclenched his jaw, unfurrowed his eyebrows and look so ethereal as he moaned his name. Bruce looks like a wild animal finally broken free into the wild.

What Jason doesn’t expect is how much he wants it too, and how it becomes a routine.

At first, it was once in a while, but then it became twice a month.

It can pass as amusing how different they acted with each other as their night time aliases compared to how they acted in Jason’s safehouse.

Bruce is a bitch as Batman. They always disagree. Morals always clashed. Both stubborn to a fault. But Bruce as his Alpha is the most gentle and caring person he has ever experienced. He had predicted that Bruce is not a textbook alpha. Never demands. Never questions. Never goes out of line. Takes care of him when he’s in heat, listens to Jason’s needs, teases attentively, and rough within Jason’s capability. Jason had thought that Bruce was holding back, but no, the alpha always looks like he’s fully enjoying himself, and so does Jason.

When they’re done, often Bruce cleans him up. Most alpha does that instinctually to their mates.

It’s almost out of character of Bruce to be this gentle. Out of character for Jason at least, he had never seen Bruce that way.

Red Hood and Batman don’t get along, but no matter how bad they fight the moment before, when the call is made and they’re together in Jason’s heat safe house, they acted like the fight never happened.

When words circulated that Bruce and Selina are engaged, they still meet up.

After Batman rips the symbol off Jason’s chest, they meet up the very next day.

Even when Jason resurfaced as himself and ran a casino. Even after meeting with his old flame, she can never replace what he has with Bruce. Jason still meets with Bruce, who’s just as eager as he is.

Jason asked to meet up, even though he expects Bruce will catch on.

“You smell different.”

“How could I?” Jason giggled, already naked on top of his bed that covered with black linen sheets. He loves the feeling of it on his warmed skin.

“Don’t know, new cologne?”

“And why would I need that when what you look forward is my au naturel scent.”

Two spots between him dip and Bruce leans down and bury his nose to Jason’s neck, taking a sniff. A pair of hands loops behind his waist and Bruce’s nose drags lower leisurely. Leaving trails of butterfly kisses and finally a bite on his chest.

Jason groaned, “Or was it just an excuse to take a whiff?” an amused chuckle escape his lips.

“I haven’t seen you in two months.”

“Missed me much?”

Bruce inhaled deeply over his stomach, “Too much,” and sucks on his skin.

“Hmmm, stop telling me and start showing me then.”

The hookups only lasted a few hours, but they savor every minute down to the last second.

Jason had the idea of being off suppressant, a treat for them both, a heat-induced sex without waiting for two years.

“What do you think?” Jason asked, laying with his stomach in bed after they’ve done enough rounds to satisfy them both. Bruce, sitting by the feet of the bed with a wet towel, looks up to Jason.

“What do I think about what?” Bruce cleans up, starting from the back of Jason’s knee going up, wiping any excrements. Jason hummed at the warmth of the soft towel.

“Me going off suppressant, have a heat-induced sex. Not on one of these days, of course, maybe three months from now.”

“I thought you don’t like your heats,” Bruce pushes the towel up between his cheeks, wiping gently and Jason sighed in contentment, savoring the touch of his calloused hands on the sensitive part of his skin.

“I don’t like having them without you,” Jason finally said, burying his face on his plush pillow.

“Do you want to have them?”

“Do you?”

“I don’t think it’s my call to give,” Bruce said after a chuckle like he’s amused. The man then –whilst butt-naked– take the towel to the bathroom and return to lie beside him. Jason shimmied up so he now lay on top of Bruce while laying on his chest. His arms slip under and wrap around Bruce’s waist. He closed his eyes, hearing Bruce’s calm heartbeat.

“I just thought it’ll be a treat for both of us,” Jason finally peeped.

Bruce hums, and Jason can feel the low rumble travel down his chest. “I don’t think your heat makes much of a difference.”

“It made all the difference! Heats made me produce a different scent that triggers your rut. Factually, heat-induced sex makes us produced hormones that made procreating more enjoyable than just regular sex.”

Bruce lays his face on top of Jason’s head whilst raking his fingers in between damp blades of hair.

“You’re correct, but I prefer this more than a heat sex.”

If stereotypes ever teach him anything, is that alphas and betas think of a heat-induced sex like a currency, a thing to be sold and highly-priced. They seek it and would do anything to get it. Again, he knows Bruce is not a textbook alpha, but he thought even Bruce won’t be above that.

“Why?” Jason finds himself asking, thumb rubbing circles on the side of Bruce’s ribs.

“I’m out of my head when I’m in a rut. Though it does feel good, it feels like I’m not sober, and I barely remember anything after a round of heat. I want to remember this,” Bruce tightens his hold on Jason, pulling him even closer. Jason felt his lips on the top of his head, and those lips travel down and land on the roots of his hair. “I’m not here for your heat. I’m here for you.”

Bruce leans in, hands-on Jason’s back as he buries his head on the crook of Jason’s neck, inhaling deeply.

Jason tucked Bruce’s head in, partly because of instinct, and another part because of fear. Fear that if Bruce sees his face now, Jason can’t defend himself. When, he wondered, that their relationship shifted from necessities to delectation. He wished he could control how hard his heart is beating, afraid the man in his arms would hear it. Does Bruce know what he’s saying? Or Jason is making up his words to mean something completely different?

Jason asked for help. That’s all that it’s supposed to be.

But again, he wouldn’t be in this position if he didn’t want this too.

Jason wanted this. It’s worth it.

“You still smell a bit different than usual,” Bruce whispered to his adam’s apple before nipping it.

“Do I?” Jason tucked his alpha’s hair, smelling his scent.

The storm brewing inside dissipates before it wreaks havoc.

“Yes, it’s sweeter,” Bruce moaned. Jason can feel his smile on his skin.

“Maybe it’s just because I’m happy.”

It’s not what Jason wanted to say, but it’ll do, because it made Bruce happy too.


	4. Bruce and Jason

After a feat –or so it seems– Bruce goes through with his wedding. Jason congratulates him.

They met once after the wedding, Bruce said not to leave marks. Understandable.

There’s a 6-month pause between them. Then Red Hood disappeared, only in the name, Bruce didn’t try to find him.

Their routine slipped away naturally. Jason is busy with his own thing, and Bruce with his own. In that business, they had missed each other, but not enough to reach out. Perhaps it’s telling how easily they shove each other to the corner, only to be pulled to the center again when convenient.

But none of them ever realized that when they spent the few hours isolated in a room that made it feel like the world belonged to them.

++++

Bruce is involved in a case involving omega forced breeding. The smell of omegas in heat is different with each person. He had smelled a scent similar to Jason. As he followed it, he did not find Jason.

He knows why Jason smells different that day.

Finding Jason was terrifyingly easy. Just a text to the usual number then an ‘ok’ will soon follow along with time and date. Batman doesn’t take his suit off when he arrived in Jason’s safe house.

“You were pregnant.”

Jason, who only gets to take off his muzzle and domino mask, freezes.

“So?”

The corner of Bruce’s pressed lips twitched, “Where’s my child?” Bruce growled, baring his teeth and Jason doesn’t flinch an inch.

Jason’s face hard as a rock, and with a step forward, he says in the coldest voice, “There is no child.”

“I know that smell now, you can’t fool me.”

“And I’m not denying you.”

Bruce felt a blow of winter air on his back despite the tightly secure suit. The pair of eyes that stares him from the omega makes him shiver.

“There is no child,” Jason repeated with the same stone-cold face.

Bruce tightens his fist. “What did you do to our child?”

Jason’s face twitched as if disturbed by what Batman said, “Our child? Just because you knock me up you think you got a say?”

“You still killed a child.”

“Ew, don’t push your pro-life agenda on me! I got rid of an embryo, and I don’t like your tone. Why are we even talking about this, we agreed to leave our names and capes outside the door.”

“You conceived something that’s made in this place, the rules are broken inevitably.”

“No! I stood by our rules. So I made sure what I conceive here, doesn’t go out.”

“You...” Batman breathed, looking at the cold in his omega. “How.... how could you,” Batman’s voice mimics the lack of emotions in Jason’s face.

Jason rolled his eyes, like Batman’s dismay is nothing but a whine.

“I know you’re an alpha here, but stop being a knot-head and be Batman for a second.” Jason’s voice low and smooth like the fur on his bed. As the omega slowly approach, Batman stood his ground.

“Think about it Batman,” Jason’s voice drops on his name, “a baby with your DNA and mine, out there. Doesn’t take an evil mastermind to do the math, and by the luck of our night job, the worst kind of people will most likely to find out.”

“Is that it?” Batman hissed. “Is that why you don’t trust me? That you think I’m irrational.”

“I rest my case,” Jason waved at Bruce, “You alpha knot-head is all the same. Thinking about breeding and pups and being territorial. Be thankful that I’m your omega. If not, you would’ve got a living liability on you.”

“What happened to you? You’re not the Jason I knew, the one who would risk everything to safe children being sold and in violent homes.”

“You don’t know me Batman, and you also don’t know me as Bruce!” Jason snapped, screaming. “Profile me all you want but you never know me! Jason Todd was your dead wayward son, Red Hood is a vigilante under your watch list, that’s all you know about me because that’s all that mattered to Batman!” Jason finally retaliates with a vein popping on his neck.

Then Batman screamed back, retaliating in his loss“It was still some part of me in you! That child was mine. You owe me an explanation!”

“I don’t owe you shit! It was in MY body and I’m not yours!”

The last few words ring in his ears. Suddenly the room goes painfully quiet.

The ones that break the silence first is Jason, the block of ice that is his expression had melted into a shocking realization. No, Bruce doesn’t have a say in what Jason’s do with his body. Jason is not his by any shape or form.

Jason takes off Batman’s cowl, and the knight didn’t fight it. His skin breathes thankfully after being freed, but he feels naked and defenseless under the omega’s furious teals.

“What is this, Bruce?” Jason spat at his name. “This is more than we signed up for. You’re asking for more. What do you want from me?”

That moment, his lungs stopped working. The dark knight faces a lot of near-death scenario but this one terrifies him the most. Even so, he starts from the beginning.

“I hated my second gender,” Bruce states, “It’s a weakness that’s out of my control. All I’m good for is to breed an omega. A pleasure toy.”

“Join the club,” Jason rolled his eyes.

“I helped you because you needed my help. You allow me to tap out. I’m here because you needed something I’ve hated about myself, and finally, this cursed second gender of mine had a purpose. I didn’t help you because I wanted an omega. I’m here for you.”

Jason lets go of the breath he’s been holding, blinking the confusion in his eyes.

“So, what? What are you suggesting that we date? We already have two lives, and you wanted to add a third?” 

“This  _ has been _ a third life,” Batman rebukes.

“ _ This _ is not a life,” Jason swings his fingers between them angrily.

“Why does it even matter what it is? We both enjoy this, don’t we deserve that? To finally accept what we are and be happy with it.” Bruce couldn’t believe he’s saying this either. He should stop. This is not the first time he lets go of the things that made him happy for the sake of what’s right. It’s what keeps him going, but what is right in this situation?

“Don’t tell me what I deserve or not, you don’t know shit about that!”

“No,” Bruce growled, “I know the most about that. Our relationship, broken. I’ve seen the look at your face, in pain masked with anger.”

“And who’s fault is that?” Jason spat.

And Bruce answer at a speed that silenced Jason. “Mine,” Bruce whispered, “It’s my fault. I have failed you in many occasion where I should’ve been there for you. I drove you away from myself.”

The confession had never been voiced before. For Jason that had always thought he’s the ugly duckling of Bruce’s ward is rightfully stupefied by the confession.

Bruce had known that for a while, that Batman can never be what Jason needs. What his ward needs. What Red Hood needs. Every affection they had for each other is fleeting before another crash and burn assuredly follows. Both like water and gasoline, Bruce tried to fix Jason by diluting him down. But always, they burn.

Here, Bruce can be someone for Jason. They coexist. They’re happy. Bruce is not one to hold onto happiness for selfish reasons. Every sacrifice needed, Batman will take it. This one, however, he reluctant to let go. He feigns ignorance to the reason why, even to himself.

“You have got to agree that when the two of us mixed in a situation it never ends as good as this one. For once we’re making each other happy,” Bruce growled, an echo from his insecure selfishness.

“So fucking what?” Jason screamed till his vein juts out of the skin of his neck. “You never cared about my happiness! Fuck, not even yours sometimes you selfless higher-than-thou asshole!”

“I cared!” the shock of him raising his voice is overcome by the horrid accusation from Jason, that he thought Bruce never cared. “I have always cared. You’re there in my dreams, my nightmares, and you don’t know how much it hurts me because I-” Bruce stopped himself from rambling any further when he caught on where the end of his train of thought is.

Before he could cover up his intention, Jason catches on.

The shift of disbelieve on Jason’s face was a sight to be seen. Outside of these walls, Bruce had seen Jason made a lot face to him. Fear was one of the worst. When he stares back at him after he instinctively throws a Batarang that nip his neck. The flash of fear had haunted him. He’s seeing that flash of fear again before Jason covered it up with unconvincing bravado.

“Did you fell in love with me?”

Bruce goes dead silence, not even a hint of him breathing.

Jason dips the corner of his lips, breathing lowly as his eyes flutters, “Do you love me too when I was Jason Todd? When I was Red Hood?”

“Yes.”

“You know that’s a goddamn lie.”

“You don’t speak for me.”

“I’m calling you out you fucking liar! Don’t you dare lie about shit like this!” Jason screamed, shoving his hand to Bruce’s armored shoulder. Has it not for the tremble in Jason’s voice, Bruce wouldn’t have wavered at the force.

“And what about you?” Bruce counters, “You didn’t need an alpha. Anyone else could’ve helped you. You have friends you trusted more than me. Understood you more than me.” As he said that, he laid his insecurities bare, feeling more naked than he’s ever been in this room.

Jason’s eyes twitched, lips pursing deeper until he bares his grit teeth.

“I have my reasons,” is all Jason said.

“Then why me?” Bruce pushes, to his surprise, Jason looked away. “You hated me. Rightfully, you blamed me. I must’ve been on the bottom of your list of who to trust.”

“Drop it, I made a mistake, so what.” Jason’s threat fell on deaf ears.

“No, you don’t make mistakes with this matter. I might be a safe choice, but there are safer choices. Whether we want it or not, Jason, our relationship had changed, not merely in this little room, but we as a whole... I’m sorry...” Bruce whispered is an apology, it drains his blood of warmth when he realized he never did that.

“...I’m sorry for the things I had done to you that made you believe that I didn’t care about you-”

“Stop.”

“-But I know what we had here is real. We’re happy, Jason. For once we made each other happy, and I want to ke-”

“SHUT UP!” Jason screamed. Fiery teal eyes balked open, staring at Batman who stood as still as a paused video.

Bruce stood as still as a paused video when he sees a layer of glistening water pooled in the omega’s eyes. His gloved hand rises, pointing at Bruce between the eyes. Jason takes in a deep long breath before letting go in a shuddering exhale.

“I’m giving you one more chance,” Jason said with a wavering tone. “One more call, and if I find ourselves in this topic again... then I’ll burn this place to the ground.”

In a heartbeat, Jason turns around but only managed to reach his door.

Taking a leap of faith, Bruce asked, “Is it so wrong to be together?”

Then he’s stopped. Body recognition had identified him and the door is already open for him to go through, yet he stood still. Fists clenched on his sides and he looks back with the same grim eyes as the knight.

A smile drapes on Jason’s mouth, “Why would you need me when you have a life up there? A wife, sons, a family.” Jason’s voice breaks, and he lets it. He lets himself go as if this is the only chance he has to do so.

“The same reason you needed me too.” He used the last of his self-control to not pull Jason’s hand into the room, just to be together for a few hours. To be back into the save haven they’ve created.

“No, Bruce, my reason is not the same as yours. Despite everything, I never hated you. This is not me pushing you away. I’m doing this because... because I fell in love with you too...” Jason paused when he sees the knight went rigid.

Gulping his nervousness down, Jason continued, “Yes, we’re happy, and I’m not saying that this happiness is fake. But, as real as it feels, deep down, we both know our feelings are as shallow as it was in the beginning, there’s nothing more to this than what we make it to be.”

“You’re wrong.”

“I wish I were, Bruce.” Jason’s voice broke, and Bruce felt that deep within his soul. He realized now the hypocrisy that had come out of his mouth.

Still, he doesn’t want to let Jason go, but he also doesn’t want to let go of everything that made him a beta Bruce Wayne.

“Whatever you’re proposing us to be, it can never happen, and I know you know that too. So my proposition still stands. We either go back as usual, or we’re done.”

Then, for the first time, Jason leaves first.

\- - - - - - -

The first call is not for Jason to make. They’ve established a rule, boundaries, understanding of what works and what’s impossible. Bruce had asked for the latter. The proposition is clear and solid, something Jason can’t bargain for again.

Jason’s ready to wait for however long. Even if that’s never.

His Motorolla rings. The same number flashed on the screen.

Under the florescent white light, every feature of his body and every crevice of the skin is presented on his kingsized bed as Batman finally arrives. An omega sprawled pretty on top of black fur, waiting for knot as his crotch dripping in slick is every alpha’s wet dream. A smell of an omega in heat filled the room and caress invitingly at the alpha’s senses.

“My lovely alpha,” Jason purs. The alpha lets his satisfaction shows, inhaling the sweet scent deeply that his head lulls in pleasure. The voice of the omega low and thick in want, strumming the alpha’s strands that put his sanity in place.

His plush lips loop to a satisfied smile when Batman starts to crumble along as his gear peeled and drops to the cream carpet. Lastly, Bruce peels his scent blocker.

Jason drew a sharp deep breath at the safe scent that joins his. Only then, they exist so simply.

Bruce caresses his omega’s face, tipping him up as teals look up to him in a pretty glint. The man leans down, brushing his smile against the skin above his scent glands.

“My omega.”

After they’re done, geared-up Bruce sits on the side of the bed, leaning down to kiss his omega goodbye.

“I’m leaving,” he announced in a whisper, cradling Jason’s face with his gloved hands as he leans down to kiss him.

Jason hums, putting his hand on top of Bruce’s, opening his eyes to look up to the cowl.

“Thank you,” Jason said groggily as if just woken up from a dream.

In front of his hazy sleepy eyes, he didn’t notice the bitter smile on Bruce’s lips. The knight closes his eyes and pressed his temple against Jason. Breathing in his scent and leave a kiss on the corner of his lips before saying, “Goodbye Jason.”

Jason opened his eyes in sobriety, just in time to look at Bruce leaving. He knows then, Bruce had wanted this one to be the last.

As much as Jason wanted to stop him, he doesn’t have the right to do so.

Jason had laid two options, and Bruce has taken one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because what is my fic without angst?
> 
> Tell me what you think!
> 
> Open to critics. Comments and Kudos if you like this~
> 
>   
> [find me on tumblr!](https://emotionalcello-makefanfics.tumblr.com/)


	5. Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh hey look an extra chapter

Jason cuts Bruce out of his life immediately. He destroys his Motorolla phone and goes completely off the grid. The only time Bruce can see this sweet face is through satellite footage if he can spot him from the entire earth, or when his face is not covered.

Bizzaro and Artemis came back, they’ve been the source of his distraction. Despite the things they’ve gone through, despite how much he loves Bizzaro as his brother and Artemis as something more, he couldn’t tell them. He knows that this part of him is his to carry alone, a burden that used to be shared with Bruce. He’ll trace the thin film on his scent glands, he needs to concentrate to even feel it on his skin, swallowing the surpressant in discreet. And every time he does, he’ll think of that underground safe house and the time he spent there, and how he can’t go back there.

There’s a lot of times where he comes so close to Artemis. He knew his feelings are not one-sided with her, and she’s one of the people he trusted. The thought of sharing this secret with her makes him want to vomit. At one moment he’s hopeful, at another he’s doubtful. Hopeful that they could work, doubtful because Artemis doesn’t seem to want him. They’ve kissed twice, both wonderful, but Artemis pushed him back for whatever reason.

He wonders if he confronts her about it, she’ll change his mind. She’ll look at him in the eye, and consider him to be in some sort of relationship. Jason knew her well to know that he means enough for her to help him.

It makes Jason wonder, did Selina knew about Bruce being an alpha? Was she there to hold half the weight for Bruce, and be there when he ruts. Did Bruce see her the way Jason is seeing Artemis now, as someone to ease the burden?

Why do things need to be so complicated? Jason looks around, to the mirror, and see more Red Hood than Jason, and he finds his answer. Artemis has her issues, Jason has a truckload full of them.

Jason never kissed her again, nor did he ever think of her romantically. Changing his perspective of her is like a walk in a park, but doing the same to Bruce is like uprooting a thousand-year-old tree. The roots too deep already, and he’s never really just Bruce his stepdad or Batman anymore. When he thinks of Bruce, the only thing that pops in his head, is his alpha, his secret lover, caring touches and soft kisses.

No matter, he thought, if years is what it takes for him to disregard Bruce, then so be it.

It doesn’t help that he keeps getting pings from his heat safehouse. Batman came back there a few times doing god knows what. When Jason returns to see the hidden camera footage (morbid, but of course he has to), Batman didn’t even dismantle. He’s just there, looking for something, then lay down on the bed, brooding. Pissed Jason right to hell.

The very next day after that discovery, Jason burns the place along with the building sitting on top of it. He watched it burn to ensure that there’s nothing left but ashes.

The fire didn’t even make it to the news.

Then Alfred contacted him. Deep inside, he had suspected that Alfred knew, he can’t _not_ know. He must’ve been, at least about Bruce being an alpha, but he knows of Jason being an omega, he’s not surprised. Yet, their conversation since his return to the land of living never brushed the topic, and he can only trust that Alfred would take his secret to the grave.

Alfred wants to meet him. He won’t admit that he’s so lonely that he’s actually considering meeting him. He wants to rant about Bruce, wants to rant about his biggest liability. Yet, his pride always comes first, so he doesn’t.

Jason denies that he misses Bruce. Missing something means letting the past drags him, he doesn’t want his second gender to drag him even further than this.

His heat is coming back, and he handles it alone in his new heat safehouse. He can’t count how many times he called for his name to the walls.

The room is identical to the previous ones, and it chills him to the bone how devastated he feels when Bruce is not here.

He’s not here. He won’t come. He’s can’t fulfill your needs. He makes you happy but the cost he wanted was far too great.

“But I need him,” Jason whined to the bed when his head is lost to the lul of his heat.

++++

Jason was so close to sweeping Bruce under the rug completely and be done with it. He would’ve done it more smoothly if he had paid no attention to the news.

Bruce and Selina got divorced.

The worst part is, Jason was in Gotham when the news break. It takes all his self-control to not barge into the Batcave and punch him on the face. Why the fuck did he do that? They were so smitten when they were chasing each other’s tail, flirting back and forth. The media swoon over them, naming them as ‘couple goals.’ Well, not that it’s Jason’s business. Even when they were seeing each other in that heat safe house, Jason got no say in it.

Jason looked away when Bruce got married. He can look away when he’s getting divorced too.

Jason left Gotham and pride himself for looking back only once.

++++

Then Bruce started finding him.

It started subtly. With a letter, because Jason doesn’t know what else to call a piece of paper with a set of numbers and writing that said, ‘My phone number –b’. Damn right Jason chuck it in the bin right away and bolt.

Without calling, Bruce drops weapons instead. Sweet ones too. Which both endearing but suspicious. Why’s Batman starting to weaponize the criminal under his watchlist? Jason takes every weapon apart for tricks or trackers before reassembling them and put them to good use.

It crossed the line when Batman starts calling him. He didn’t remember sharing his number with anyone from his bat entourage. He hadn’t given Alfred a new one since he broke it off with Bruce, not risking that he’ll get it. All was for naught when he sees his silhouette looming at the top of a building in the middle of Croatia.

Fucking dramatic bitch, that’s what Batman is. Two can play that game. Jason just looks at him, recognize him there, and left.

But between the gifts and the ‘letters’ and the constant re-appearing, it razzles his nerves that he just wants to be done with it.

“If you want to fucking talk can’t you just contact me like a fucking normal person!” Jason screams as he stomps into the Batcave. His voice booms across the cave so loud it disrupts the bats as they squeak and flew from one corner to another. The most annoying bat in the room, however, only gaze at him, unfazed.

“I left you my number.”

“Yeah, your number and only that, nothing else! The fuck should I do with that?” Jason rips his muzzle and mask off. Fuming to his ears when once again, Batman is unfazed as if Jason is the one being crazy. The man has the nerve to look puzzled as if his actions haven’t been totally mental!

“Obviously to call me if you’d like.”

“In what way did I even ask or want to call you? Why would I ever need your fucking number when I know exactly where to find you.” Jason spreads his arms, gesturing the building around him. “Well, you did it. You successfully annoy me to meeting you, now what the fuck do you want?” Jason huffed in frustration, glaring at the dead white lenses of Batman’s mask and a scowling mouth that’s barely recognizable anymore.

“Talk.” Fucking annoying asshole, that’s all he got to say. His fingers move on the many keyboards under the big screen. Jason watched as he locked the cave down, making sure there’s only the two of them here and turned off the camera footage.

“‘Bout what?” Jason spat, even though bale threatens up his throat knowingly from watching what Batman had just done.

“Us.”

Jason grits his teeth, he can hear them grind inside his skull, “What ‘us’?” Because he refused to believe Bruce is this stupid.

“The one you burned to ashes,” His gloves squeaks from the tightly clenched gloved fists.

Jason puts his vigilance up front, pushing through his fury. This is the first time Batman ever mentions their relationship outside of the heat safehouse. This was one of his fear whenever involving Batman. Even though he can easily push everything away in almost malice to focus on a task, there’s always a small chance that his heartstrings got caught up. It’s what makes him Batman, that bits of Bruce that makes the vigilante have that sliver of compassion.

Now, he needs to reel it back carefully not to be tangled. He needs to detangle and let him go. Coming here is a mistake.

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose, “What could you possibly want to talk about. It ended. We moved on.”

“Have you?” Bruce’s voice drops and Jason drops his hand, see that nothing about his body language had changed. He hates talking to his cowl, he can’t look at his eyes, but this is better, he can remind himself that Bruce if Batman first, Bruce second, and his alpha the very last and crossed.

“How is that _my_ problem?” Jason sighed, he needs to be civil and reasonable in this. Another angry burst is just gonna make this problem snowballed. He trusts Bruce with their secret no matter how obtuse he’s being right now. “I gave you an ultimatum, and I assumed you agreed when I didn’t hear any argument from you. Then you left, and I _respect_ your decision. It was a done deal.”

“It wasn’t right!” He scorns, finally, a reaction.

“What do you know of what’s right or not?” Jason scoffs.

“I know enough. I don’t want to pretend that we didn’t happen.”

Jason rubs his face in frustration, “What do you want from me?”

“From us. I want to be with you.”

That’s what Jason feared. That’s what Jason had expected from the moment he heard the news about his divorce. He had put up walls of denial and moved on anyway. Now... now he doesn’t know what to do about that. He can’t look at Bruce, not even on those white lenses, afraid to give something up of himself.

Fuck. Bruce meant it. What’s worse is that he can’t have it in him to not be tempted. It’s too good to be true, he wants to believe it. He wants him. He wants that Bruce that sees him as Jason, but... did he really?

“With what me?” Jason challenged, he approached Batman with quick strides to take his cowl off his face. A pair of blue aquamarine looks at him with earnest eyes even though his lips permanently scowl these days, Jason had learned to read those eyes. “You want me to believe that you’d actually want me?”

“I know it’ll be hard to convince you,” Bruce then dares to shrug like it’s fucking nothing, and Jason was so caught up by the gesture that he doesn’t have the time to feel angry until Bruce continues, “But it’s what I wanted, and I know you wanted it too.”

“Just because I fell in love with you doesn’t mean I want this!” His voice gradually picks up, echoing all over the cave. It’s the second time he confesses it, doesn’t feel any better than the last time. It made him feel vulnerable, weak... and Jason hates to feel like this.

“Why not?”

“Wh-why not? What do you fucking mean why not?”

“I have no ties here, outside that safehouse, neither do you, there’s nothing that holds us back. Unless you have someone else.”

“I didn’t mean just Selina! You...” No, he pretty much meant just Selina, and he broke up with her, but it doesn’t mean they don’t have other problems.

“Do you really don’t want this?” Bruce steps forward before Jason can say anything else. Voice smooth like honey yet teasing, eyes flickering playfully, it’s the Bruce he missed from his safe house. How much he missed this Bruce. He’s being too cruel.

“I do,” Jason whispered, afraid his voice will crack if he says any louder.

Bruce reaches out, holds his wrist, and slowly slides down to hold his hand and rub his knuckles. Just like when they were back there. Too cruel.

“What are you afraid of? We’ll keep our second gender a secret. We can just be Bruce and Jason.” He perks up at that, and Bruce widens his eyes in surprise, “You think I just want you because you’re an omega.”

“You didn’t give me any reason not to believe otherwise. Being an omega is the only part of me that you didn’t hate,” Jason retorts, heart still skipping from seeing this Bruce again. It almost doesn’t feel real. But it is. Without a doubt, they’re in the Batcave, they’re wearing their vigilante gear instead of being naked, and Bruce is still being so unfairly sweet to him. He hates this. “We have too much history between us, too much hurt.”

“I’m sorry.” Jason tears his eyes away from their intertwined hand to his face. Eyes earnest and guilty, his voice just like he did in that underground box. “I knew I made a lot of mistakes, let me make it up to you.”

It’s tempting, and if Bruce takes off his scent blocker Jason would’ve swoon right away, but he doesn’t. Jason gets to fight a little, think more rationally.

Bruce fills in when Jason can’t say anything, “I know you haven’t forgiven me-”

“But I already have,” Jason cuts in with a hiss, his grip on his hand tighter but he steps back. “I’ve always forgiven you.”

Bruce looks like he’s being cut open, not what he expected, “What’s makes you hesitate?”

Jason almost laughed, because, really?

“You’ve always been more Batman than Bruce Wayne.” Jason takes a deep breath and reaches to his stubbled jaw. Sharp and prickly, and his heart dies when Bruce leans into his touch as if his muscle memory remembers him. Remembers the sweet shared time. “You were my alpha last. The only way we worked was because of that place that forces us to forget our masks. Now you want me, here. How can I know that you’ll be able to see me more than just Red Hood? More than your failure? More than someone you’re sorry for?”

Because Jason knew that apologetic look anywhere, and that pitying look as well. Batman might have seen him as a criminal, but he also sees him as that poor boy he failed. He always felt guilty, yet at the same time always wary like he’s a wild animal, the loving in someways.

“I can’t promise anyone perfect, I know I’m far from it, but I want you, I want to try this,” Bruce says lastly, and his skin feels cold when he lets go on his hand. “I’m not going to force you into having a relationship with me, and I don’t know how to convince you. Take as many times as you like to decide.”

“And if I say no?” Jason keeps his voice as still as an undisturbed pond.

“Then I’ll drop it.”

“It would’ve meant that you dumped Selina for nothing.”

“I broke up with Selina because I can’t love her when you’re all I think about, even after we stopped. I married her thinking you’re out of my reach, that it couldn’t be. I can only deny what’s obvious for so long.”

A pebble is thrown to the calm pond, Jason’s voice wavers, “Is it because of what I did? About the abortion? Are you trying to fix my ‘mistake’?” There’s venom of accusations in his voice, his stomach churns for the possibility of the truth. No, Jason doesn't regret his choice. It was a mistake, he can't have a child, and god knows Bruce has enough children as it is.

Ah, there it is, the twitch in his face, “The only thing I hated about that is that you didn’t tell me. You dealt with it alone, when it was partially my responsibility. Back then I might have reacted contradicting my statement just now, but you were right. I wouldn't have pushed to save it if you never wanted to go through with the pregnancy, I just wished I was there when you did it. It must’ve been painful."

Jason looked away, eyes on the floor, burning holes through it. He pushes that memory to the back of his head yet again. _It was painful_ , he wanted to say, but he gulps it down. What's done is done, he doesn't want to mull that particular choice of his. Instead, his brain is busy digesting Bruce's proposition and how hard it is to say no. Jason doesn't want to say no, but he can't help the churn of anxiety brewing in his gut. 

“It’s not going to be easy,” Jason starts instead.

“Things between us never does.”

“But you still want it?”

“If you do too.”

_Why?_ Jason had wanted to ask, but he knows the reason and can’t tune it out of his reasoning anymore. It’s hard to believe, Bruce loved him. He wanted to accuse that Bruce is lying, that it’s just a way for him to fuck an omega. Though his negativity cruelly put scenarios in his head, he knows Bruce too well to believe any of them. As emotionally constipated the man is, he’s never cruel to people close to him. Never intentionally.

He knew even though Bruce is far away from a saint, he’s compassionate in his core. It’s just hard to believe that Jason has that share of compassion now.

Jason had said that their feelings can’t last outside the omega safehouse, just drunk off pheromones. But here he is, heart racing like a fool when all he can smell is the hint of chalk on the cave and leather.

Well, there’s one way to know for sure.

Jason closes their distance in one wide step. Their chest bumps and Jason’s hand clutched the black cape on each shoulder to prevent Bruce from bouncing away. Yet it’s Bruce who leans in first, crashing their lips together. Hands strongly grip on his hips, possessive, and pulling. Their gear is way to thick for them to feel anything but their clashing lips. Jason sighed when they break away a moment before kissing again. It gives his heart a mean tug when Bruce rubs his back, leaning in and kissing him back with slow savoring movement.

He missed being touched like this, gently, like he meant something more than flesh. Bruce always does that, his alpha was a good one.

When Bruce broke aways and trail kisses down his jaw, he lets him and clung. Eyes closed as hands clawed on Batman’s cape. He can’t even pretend that he was in a box underground, his gear and the chalky earthy scent of the cave reminds him that he’s here. And the kisses on his skin so sweetly gentle. Familiar but not the same.

Jason complied when he was pulled by the hand. Going upstairs from a door that opens from a seamless wall. It goes up to Bruce’s room.

It’s a familiar fond feeling to peel his gear off with Bruce in the room. His body anticipates something good the less he dresses. Their skin reveals more and more and Jason salivates when Bruce looms over him as his cape drops to the floor and the skin on his shoulder shows. Instinctually, when he stripped every clothing in his body, his hand reaches to the scent blocker on his scent glands. His hand was stopped in a strong grip. Eyes widen as he stares to the pair of intense blue eyes.

“No, I don’t want an omega,” his voice deep and reassuring, fond even, that his heart thrums silly and noisy. Jason lets go and the back of his head cradled and guided into a kiss.

There’s a new kind of hunger in his stomach. He pins Bruce down and straddles the man as their mouth never let go of each other. He can’t smell Bruce, and Bruce can’t smell him, but their erection prominent and their passion burns anyway as they hungrily feel each other. His heart had never beaten this heart before, but maybe it was from Bruce’s chest.

They had sex countless times before, but this doesn’t feel like familiar to any of them. Jason felt like weeping when Bruce makes love to him, but it helps to see those icy blue eyes pools with tears too.

+++++

It wasn’t easy. They still fight. Still shedding blood. Because of their history, they know what words hurt the most. In the end, Batman and Red Hood were too different to be on the same page, ever. They don’t have their omega safehouse anymore, but wherever they are, after they put their mantle away, they’re just Bruce and Jason in their own little world. After the fights and disagreement, they manage to get back together. They learned that whatever the disagreement was, it was never enough to deter any of them away. They often go to bed with bruises they inflicted on each other, apologetically kissing them away, it had become a ritual for them.

It was an odd thing. Treating as if Bruce and Jason are different people from Batman and Red Hood, but it’s what works for them. It’s what makes their vigilante activities run smoothly without bias while they can still return to each other’s loving arms once that business is done.

The second gender didn’t matter much. They rarely take their scent blocker off and Jason never went off his suppressant until he needs to have his heat again. In the end, they prefer sex without their scent and enjoy each other with sobriety instead of being lulled with scents.

What both of them hadn’t predicted is how solid they are. They go into this relationship experimentally. Now five years later they’re still together. They’re often away more than together, but they never fail to return to each other.

Still, unlike Bruce and Selina, Bruce and Jason can never be known to the public, not many know in the family, even if they do, they didn’t say anything and they(Bruce and Jason) would rather live without hearing their opinions. They can’t get married, can’t even give trinkets or any physical symbol of their love, that gives one too many hints that they’re together. They’re alike in their paranoia, not having any token of it is one of the few things they agree about.

Nothing is forever, and they know that they don’t get the privilege to die of old age. One day, they were cuddling in the night after a patrol while watching tv, Jason kisses Bruce’s temple when he noticed the man had fallen asleep. It was a vulnerability that Jason never get tired of. Bruce’s sleeping face in his arms is the most precious memory he’ll ever have, and he wished he gets to have a picture of him like this.

His paranoia won't let that, so he settles for the next best thing.

“I’ll stay with you forever,” he whispered to Bruce’s closed eyes and even breaths as Jason tuck his head to the crook of his neck. “You’ve been my home, and I’ll do anything to go back to this with you,” Jason completed, vowing to the empty space.

He feels arms around him tightens, as the breath on his skin hitched. Bruce nuzzles closer, “I will stay with you forever,” Bruce echoes, “As long as I can still walk, I’ll return to you, Jason.”

Jason closed his eyes, holding onto Bruce for dear life. Stars sparks under his closed lids as he smiles into Bruce’s hair.

They can’t get married, they can’t have tokens of their love, and they’re okay with that because it’s substituted by their vows to each other, and it means so much more than any of it.

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think!
> 
> Open to critics. Comments and Kudos if you like this~
> 
>   
> [find me on tumblr!](https://emotionalcello-makefanfics.tumblr.com/)


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